Volunteer writer, Chloë Morgan, tells us about her lockdown essential: ‘Self-care for the Real World’ by Katia Narain Phillips and Nadia Narain.
Reading is a fantastic form of self-care, distancing us from everything going on during these strange times. A form of escapism: we leave this isolated world and enter the world of fiction. Love stories light up our lives; horrific horror stories remind us that our lives could be worse.
But what about books that are made up of this self-care? You guessed it: self-help books! However, there’s one in particular I’d like to talk about…
Sisters Katia and Nadia bring us this beautifully written self-help book. Perfect for a time of such uncertainty, Self-care for the Real World brings us the basics of what self-care really is, and what we can do (or stop doing) to take care of ourselves as much as possible. This book encourages us to pay attention to the little things and do them differently or do more of them. It reminds us that we’re important, and to make looking after ourselves our no.1 priority. Because it is, and especially at a time like today!
Self-care for the Real World covers topics we often fail to discus, including confidence, comparison and FOMO. Nadia and Katia remind us that we’re not alone in our negative thoughts, feelings and habits, but, more importantly, how to change them. They give us their tips, tricks and techniques to guide us along the path to self-love, or, at least, self-acceptance.
What I especially love about this book are the bullet points that advise us on what to do depending on how we’re feeling. I also love the various recipes that are dotted throughout this book, reminding us that eating and drinking are essential parts of self-care too – and the recipes look delicious! Finally, I love the section ‘Self-care in under five minutes’ because it really acknowledges that in the real world a lot of people only really have five minutes. Life gets busy and self-care isn’t always at the forefront of our minds even though it should be, but we can – and we must – stop for five minutes to take care of ourselves!
When we think of reading, I think we often forget about or undermine the value of self-help books. They’re not for everyone, of course; however, I personally find them very useful as they remind us that we’re not alone in feeling how we’re feeling. And they give us real tips and words of wisdom on how to take better care of ourselves.
There are so many different self-help books out there now too on a wide range of topics, so if this one isn’t your cup of tea, don’t fret! Now, have a browse; grab the right cup of tea, and get reading!
Featured image by Sarah Hannaford.
